


Marked for Return

by EnterNameHere



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Biopsy, F/F, F/M, Other, Rape/Non-con Elements, Relationships aren't too important honestly, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-27 13:11:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7619431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnterNameHere/pseuds/EnterNameHere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beruka never thinks much about her contracts. But this one disturbed her deeply.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Contract Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beruka got a contract. Seem unimportant?
> 
> Then you don't know the contents.

"Camilla?"

The lilac princess looked up from her book. Beruka was standing at the door to her room. She smiled, gesturing for her to come in. "Hello, my dear. What's the matter?"

The assassin took a single step into Camilla's room. She was still concerned about the line between retainer and lover. "I need to talk with you and the other royals. All three kingdoms."

Camilla shifted to sitting on the edge of her bed. "What about?"

Beruka latched the door behind her. "You know that, various times, I get contracts for you or your siblings?"

Camilla chuckled. "Are you finally going t-"

"I did not accept any of them," Beruka interrupted. "I did not accept this one either. But the details of this contract shook me. It was for every royal. Nohr, Hoshido, and—well...you know."

Camilla nodded. "So? You declined it, as always."

Beruka sighed. "It's the person who gave me the contract that disturbed me." She took a piece of paper from her belt and gave it to Camilla. "Here."

Camilla unfolded the paper. It was very crinkled, and she tried to flatten it out as much as possible. Her eyes scanned the entire sheet, settling on the contractor's signature in the bottom left corner. Her entire body froze. "Th-that's...how could...?"

Beruka shook her head slowly. "Your guess is far superior to mine, Camilla."

Camilla focused on the signature. There was no mistake about it. Impossible to forge, decently new, staring right at her with one simple name:

" _Katerina_."

———————————

"That's not possible!" Xander yelled.

Takumi leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he stared hard at Beruka. "Could someone enlighten me as to who this 'Katerina' is?"

Elise was sitting with her legs on the chair. "She's Xander's mom. The former queen of Nohr. She's also dead."

Takumi groaned as he held his forehead. "What is it with our dead parents wanting to kill us? Garon, Arete, Mom, Dad, and now this?"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "How do you know it's not forged?"

Leo scoffed. "How often do you think she signs things? Only my siblings, myself, and our late father have seen her signature. And Garon is dead, sooooo..."

"This makes no sense," said Azura. "Katerina is dead. Anankos didn't bring her back, at least that we know of. So how could this happen?"

Corrin sighed as she stared at the signature. "Only one way to find out, really. We need to find her somehow. She's clearly using this as a warning. Beruka? Where did you receive this?"

Beruka was standing next to Camilla. "The assassin underground has many messengers and informants. It is highly unlikely that the person who gave me this contract was actually Katerina."

Corrin rested her forehead on her arm. "Welp. So much for that."

Sakura suddenly spoke up. "Are there any safehouses or otherwise where she c-could be hiding?"

Xander suddenly sat up. "Only a couple. That would be a good place to start. I'll take a force to each of these locations. This lead is better than none."


	2. It Has Always Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The safehouses had been a dead end. Hopefully the last one has something they can go on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, when trying to think of how I could make this series differentiated from all of my other works, I noticed that, since I've deleted Girl's Weekend (I couldn't bring myself to write more of that, and I don't want the reminder of my failures staring me in the face), none of my works are rated higher than T. I'm changing this. I've planned ahead with this story, more than I really should have, and some chapters will be descriptive about gore and will contain potential triggers. This chapter is no exception. If you don't want to read that sort of thing, then don't read this fan fiction whatsoever. You have been warned.

Xander kicked down the door to the safehouse, dashing inside as various troops followed behind. He took the stairs two at a time, one hand clasped around Siegfried's hilt. As he was reaching the top of the stairs and the entrance to the only room on the top floor, he heard the voices of Laslow and Charlotte calling up to him.

"All's clear on this floor, milord."

"Doesn't look like anyone's been here for at least a year!"

Xander sighed as he looked around the empty upstairs. He walked back down slowly. "Well, there MUST be something here!" he yelled, visibly frustrated. "None of the other safehouses had anything in them! Get searching, now!"

"Way ahead of you, boss!" Nina called out. She walked in from the kitchen, holding a piece of paper. "Check this out. I don't think that this is meant to be seen by anyone other than us."

Xander took the piece of paper from her, taking the messenger stone he got from Hayato out of his pocket. He knocked it against the wall twice and it started glowing. Immediately, Corrin's voice could be heard coming from the stone. "Well? Did you get her?"

Xander beckoned Charlotte to come with him and waved off the rest of the group. Going up stairs, he replied to Corrin. "Unfortunately, no, but Nina found some sort of note." He set the stone down on the nearby table. "Get a load of this bullshit:

'i spy with my all seeing eyeS  
a red, like the coLor bloOd  
not even Niles'd taRnish wIth mud  
one day a beauty, but now simPly bud  
finisH it Out aNd you'Ll get your pRize.  
sorry, I just wrote that Closed eyEs'"

Xander scoffed. "What kind of message is this? Poet they are not."

Camilla's voice came through. "Please, brother, be serious. Katerina may be playing a game with us. It's in our best interest to play along."

"It's in our interest to catch this bitch before she gets out of reach."

"Xander!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Calm down! If we have no choice but to play along with this person who may or may not be your mother, then we have no choice! Just reel it in for a moment, please!"

Xander sighed. "Fine. Anyone got an idea on this rhyme?"

Corrin spoke up. "I'll get Sakura. She's actually pretty good at things like this."

"Lady Corrin? Have you seen Sakura?"

Xander heard Hana's voice in the background. Corrin replied to the samurai. "No, actually, I was just about to go get her in-"

Hana interrupted. "She isn't in her room. Nor is she at her favorite river. Hell, even Subaki doesn't know where she is."

——————————

Sakura woke to the sound of humming and the immense pain in her head. She opened her eyes slowly, staring at the floor. She reached for her head, but found that it was cuffed to the wall. Confusion seeped in as she looked hurriedly around the room she was in.

Was she in a prison cell?

'No,' she thought to herself, 'That can't be right.' But as she looked at her bonds and surroundings, there was no doubt in it.

"Ah, wonderful. You're awake." Sakura's eyes immediately snapped in the direction of the voice. All she could see was the silhouette of a woman. "I'm honestly surprised that you didn't wake sooner."

Sakura squinted. "Wh-where...am I?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"You wouldn't know. I don't have much time to chat, anyways. I already have plenty of what I need from you." The woman held up a large bag. It seemed to be dripping. "Couldn't really find a blood-resistant bag. But that doesn't matter. I can charm this away anyhow."

Sakura was still having trouble thinking straight. "Needed f-from...m-me? Wh-what...do..."

"I won't deny, though, that Bifröst is a beautiful thing." Sakura was still unable to make any connections. The woman smiled wickedly, trying to help out the young prisoner. "I wonder how much the organs of a Hoshidan princess would sell for?" Sakura's eyes widened immediately, and she started struggling in her cuffs. The woman simply laughed. "Oh, Sakura...I would apologize, but I'd hate to be insincere. Kehehe..." She turned down the halls. "She's all yours. Don't worry about going easy on her; I'm leaving you some Bifrösts. Go to town."

All Sakura could do was scream in terror as a brute grabbed her roughly by the hair.


	3. Liberation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been an hour and tensions are still growing. Sakura has gone missing and the only clue is a poorly-written poem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was REALLY uncomfortable for me to write. You'll see why in approximately one minute.

No one knew where Sakura was.

Corrin was having a nervous breakdown. Her nails bleeding from excessive biting, she fumbled with some pen and paper, trying to figure out what the hell Katerina wanted. Nothing was working. Dozens of thoughts were racing in and out of her head.

'Why is she alive? Why does she want us dead? Why did she kidnap Sakura? What did she kidnap Sakura for? Is it actually Katerina? Is Sakura okay? For fuck's sake, WAS SHE OKAY?! Why-'

"Corrin?"

The voice broke her out of her mental spiral so suddenly that she responded violently, throwing her pen at the intruder. Leo's best defense was to shield himself with the tome he was carrying, which resulted in a tome that had a pen lodged through it. Corrin was suddenly brought back to reality, promptly rushing towards her brother. "Ohmygods Leo, I am so sorry! I didn't hurt you, di-"

Leo reached out calmly. "Relax. I'm fine. This history book has certainly seen better days, though. Do you need help?"

Corrin mildly recovered. "Are you kidding me? I can't make heads nor tails of this thing! I've tried looking at the bad grammar, the rhyming style, everything!"

Leo gestured to the note on the table. "Is this the original?" Corrin nodded. "May I see?" Corrin nodded again. Leo picked up the paper and skimmed through it. "Have you noticed the random capitalization?"

Corrin nodded. "That doesn't make sense either! The result gives complete gobbledygook!"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Did you know that anagramming the capital letters gives you 'Nohr prison cell'?"

Corrin immediately shrunk to the floor. "Oh gods..."

Leo was by her side immediately. "What is it?"

Corrin was crying. "That should have been so obvious...now Sakura might be dead due to me not looking at the obvious solution staring me in the fucking face!"

"No, it..." Leo couldn't respond easily. "L-look, never mind that! Better late than never! Don't worry, I'll gather a group to check this out!" He ran out of the tent shouting. "Ryoma! Get your retainers and come with me!"

——————————

"No one's been in the capital prison since we declared peace. All prisoners, Hoshidan or otherwise, were let go soon after, and the entire place was pretty much left to rot. If Sakura is there, then we'll need to be smart about it. Each cell on the east side of the castle has a barred window. Ah, Kagero, perfect timing. How many are there?"

"There were five overall. They seem to have some sort of weird system going; three of them are always up in front while the other two go back in one of the cells. I shudder to think of-"

"We can start worrying once we get Sakura back in our company. Try to leave at least one of them alive for questioning."

——————————

Sakura was barely conscious. She groaned hoarsely, trying to shift from the uncomfortable position that she had been forced into. One of the brutes kicked her roughly in the stomach, forcing her back down to the ground. Suddenly, from down the hall, shouting could be heard. The two brutes immediately left Sakura, one of them slamming her head into the ground. The very moment they stepped out into the hallway, there was a bright flash, and the brutes had gaping holes where their sternums used to be.

——————————

Niles shouldered his bow. "Let's just pretend that I meant to do that."

Odin was giving him the stink-eye. "Yes, of course, you totally meant to ruin my Ragnarok tome. Not to say that the resulting fire arrow wasn't epic, but still."

Saizo bound up the only brute still alive. "Epic or no, he wasted valuable army resources. I'm surprised that you keep him around at all, Prince L-"

Ryoma cut Saizo off. "Leo's decision for retainers is his alone to make. Let's get moving."

——————————

Sakura was bare and motionless on the stone floor, her wrists and ankles bound with thick rope. Her favorite dress lay in the far corner of the cell, torn to extremes. The young princess was covered in a mixture of blood, tears, and semen. Her eyes barely open, she uttered a quiet whimper.

The moment Odin saw the unfortunate princess' form, he became very green. "Pardon me, milord..." He turned back to the entrance of the prison, steadying himself on the wall the entire way.

Ryoma was immediately at his younger sibling's side. Breaking her bonds with her bare hands and wiping away as much fluid as he could, he held Sakura close to him. Her body was cold, colder than winter on Mount Garou.

Niles stood respectively further back than the others. "Damn...even for me, that's just revolting."

Leo tapped his communication stone against the wall. Corrin's voice immediately issued from it: "What happened? Is Sakura okay?"

Leo sighed. "The good news is that she's alive. The bad news is that I'm fairly certain she's died more than five times before we got here."

"What? How do you-"

"There's a pile of broken Bifröst staves. There seem to be at least half a dozen of them. Have Forrest and Elise meet us halfway. Sakura is in need of some serious help."


	4. Care and Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura gets some serious medical attention after being found in the Nohrian prison.
> 
> Also, Leo and Camilla try to find out more about Katerina.

"Is she dead?"

"Not yet. And unless you want her to be, I suggest you stop distracting me, Subaki."

"S-sorry..."

Flora exhaled heavily, going back into the medical ward tent. Sakura was laying on the table, completely motionless. Every now and then she would let out a faint groan. Azura was sitting by her sister's head, clasping her dual pendants in her left hand. Tears were in her eyes, refusing to fall amidst silent prayer.

"There is literally no skin on her right side anymore." Elise was obviously trying to remain calm, but it wasn't working. Her hands were trembling feverishly.

Mitama glanced at the Nohrian princess. "Do you need to leave? I can tell you're nervous. Don't feel obligated."

Elise continued her scouring of Sakura's side, trying to determine where muscle ended and flesh began. "N-no, I'm fine. I'm totally fine. Absol-Ow!" She suddenly pulled her hand back, shaking it fiercely. The hand suddenly had a gash across her middle finger that started to slowly spill blood. "I, uh, think there's something here." She moved to bandage her finger.

Midori rushed over to Elise. Searching the skin where Elise had been feeling along, Midori took out a pair of tweezers. Moving to the exact area where Elise pulled away from, Midori found herself pulling a molten-hot blade fragment out of Sakura's skin.

Out of nowhere, Sakura let out a bloodcurdling shriek, scaring everyone present. Azura jumped backwards, dropping her pendants on the ground. Elise dropped the bandage she was applying, causing more blood to drip. Sakura got up on her elbows, but immediately collapsed, falling silent just as suddenly as she had started screaming.

——————————

"That's what the commotion was about?" Ryoma stared at the small piece of metal.

Azura was holding the tweezers before the room. "I'm afraid so. And I'm afraid I know what this metal is. It's Bind Metal."

Elise was sucking at her cut middle finger. "Bind Metal?"

Azura nodded. "Essentially, it's a material that holds one's soul in it. And if it gets too far away from the person to whom it is bound..."

Hinoka was holding Sakura's hand. "Well?"

Azura sighed. "First comes hallucinations, then comes violent tendencies, then the loss of the senses, then death." The entire room fell silent. Azura gestured to Sakura using the tweezers. "And judging by the fact that this was found literally inside of Sakura, I'm guessing that this Bind Metal is bound to her."

Corrin buried her face in her hands. "So the best plan for now is to keep this near her until we can determine how to return her soul to her body. But the thing's white-hot! How can we keep that with her without it potentially damaging her?"

Azura placed the tweezers down on the side table next to Sakura's side. "My proposal is that, once Sakura gets well enough, we take her and the Bind Metal to Benny in the armory. He can forge it into a dagger or something."

Hinoka shifted worriedly. "And that won't harm her soul or anything, right?"

Azura shook her head. "No. At least, it shouldn't. Bind Metal is incredibly strong, much more so than iron. And it protects its host with extreme care."

"How do you know so much about this thing?"

Azura give Takumi an antagonizing look. "What do you think my pendant is?" Takumi shuffled backwards a little. "Oh, Ryoma, do we have anyone interrogating that brute you captured?"

"Leo and Camilla should be doing so as we speak."

——————————

"So. Goro."

The captured brute was tied up in the same prison cell Sakura had been in. He sat on the bench, the only place that had been thoroughly cleaned. Leo and Camilla had been sent for the interrogation. Leo strolled the cell, holding a file of information he had gotten from some of Niles' various underground sources. Camilla was simply leaning against the wall, arms crossed, feigning indifference.

"Let me see...You've got quite the impressive track record. The front man for several underground organizations in Hoshido involved with making illegal weapons, and now you've landed yourself in a Nohrian prison cell, the same one where you repeatedly killed and raped the youngest member of the Hoshidan royal family. Must just be another Tuesday for you, eh?"

Goro looked at Leo with contempt. He scoffed, and stayed silent. Leo closed his file, setting it down on the bench next to Goro. "How'd you get involved with the dead, former queen of Nohr?" More silence. "Let me help jog your memory. Her name's Katerina. Ring any bells?" Still nothing. Leo sighed. "Ah well. Camilla?"

Camilla was fiddling with her hair when she heard her name. Leo gave her a wink that Goro couldn't see, followed by him mouthing 'Heel'. "It'd be my pleasure, Leo," Camilla cooed. She walked over to the tied Goro, over-exaggerating the sway in her hips. She put one foot on the bench between the brute's knees. Camilla smirked a little. "Been enjoying the view?" Goro tried to make level eye contact with her but was clearly failing. Camilla let out a quiet purr. "I sure hope you have."

Without Goro noticing, Leo had removed the heel from Camilla's shoe, revealing a hidden blade which, without any warning, the lilac princess jammed directly into Goro's left foot. Grinding her shoe roughly, Camilla grinned wickedly as Goro roared with pain. "Fuck, okay! Okay! Stop it! I'll talk!"

Camilla immediately moved away from Goro, taking the fake heel back from Leo, who got back to his questions. "How did you get involved with Katerina?"

Goro panted momentarily, still reeling from getting stabbed in the foot. "I don't know her name, but if this Katerina is tall, has blonde hair, and hates the fuck out of Hoshido, I know the person."

"Certainly sounds like her."

"The only name she went by was Hawkeye. She offered me and the others 300,000 gold each for kidnapping and bringing her that young redhead."

Camilla resumed her position against the wall. "What did Hawkeye want?"

"I have no idea. Though, when she turned the redhead over to us, she was leaving with a couple of broken Bifröst staves and a large, burlap bag that was dripping...something. Haw...Katerina...mentioned something about needing some will and heart...something to that extent. I don't really want to venture my guess, but..."

Leo nodded. "Go ahead. I've probably heard worse things."

Goro gulped. "My guess is that... Katerina surgically removed some of the redhead's organs. And, judging from the Bifröst's, multiple of each one. Maybe to sell on the black market."

Camilla got noticeably paler. "Organs. Of course. It had to be." She turned around and walked out the front door of the cell. Leo had left after Goro said the word 'organs'. Camilla locked the door behind her. "Thank you. That'll be all."

"Can't you at least get me a different cell?"

"You rape my sister-in-law and expect to get VIP treatment? Not gonna happen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I simultaneously love and despise Camilla at the same time. There's just something about her that I can't put my finger on...
> 
> Also, bonus points to whoever can tell me what support conversation Azura's dual pendants are a reference to!


	5. No Body Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camilla seeks Niles' expertise.
> 
> Sakura also wakes up, but something's...off.

"Niles."

Leo's retainer turned to see Lady Camilla at the door to his room. He gave a fake smile as he turned his chair to face her, responding in a mocking tone. "Princess Camilla. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Camilla was in little mood for Niles's game. "Hawkeye. What do you know?"

Niles gave a laugh. "Gods, it's been years since I heard that name. Definitely a danger if you run into her. How did Hawkeye come up?"

"We believe that Hawkeye is Katerina's codename."

Niles straightened up. "Huh. The plot thickens. She was—well, due to the fact that you're asking me about her, IS—a master of the black market and barely shows her face. She certainly hates Hoshido with a burning passion. The last I remember regarding Hawkeye, she actually gave me a mission to kill Xander. Didn't go through with it, obviously." His tone changed suddenly to be extremely serious. "Listen, uh, Camilla? Can I ask a favor of you?"

"I don't have time for your errands, Niles." Camilla turned on her heel and started to walk off.

Niles stood up. "No, seriously. It's nothing like that. It's about Elise. She's been fretting over Sakura to the umpteenth degree, and she hasn't gotten any sleep for a couple days. Please...let her know that she can rest. She NEEDS rest."

Camilla glanced over her shoulder at the former criminal. "Again, I'm not your errand girl. Do it yourself."

With that, she left Niles alone in his room, slack-jawed and dumbfounded.

——————————

Elise and Azura were sitting together by Sakura's side. Azura was starting to doze off. Elise had gotten her middle finger bandaged up properly and was fiddling with the gauze idly. "Do you think she'll still be herself when she comes to?"

Azura opened her eyes slightly. "Well...maybe. I don't know. The only way to find out is the hard way, unfortu-"

A small groan from Sakura made the bluenette go silent. The young princess's head lolled to one side, and her limbs started moving with apparent trepidation, as if she were checking to make sure her body was in one piece. Her fingers curled in and out slowly. Elise reached out to hold Sakura's hand, but Azura took hold of her wrist and pulled her back. "Let her wake up on her own."

Sakura brought a hand up to hold her head, letting out another groan. She held her back, arching it to try and take care of a cramp, saying quietly, "Fuck, my back... Ugh..."

Elise couldn't help herself. She leapt to her feet, grabbing hold of Sakura's arm. "Sakura! Are y—" Sakura reacted almost instantly, elbowing her wife in the gut in an attempt to free her arm.

Elise staggered back before falling to her knees. She hunched over, gasping for air. Sakura immediately jumped down next to her. "Oh my gods, Elise, I am so sorry! Come on, breathe slowly. Small breaths."

Azura sat dumbfounded for a moment. "Sakura, your—"

"Hold on," Sakura interrupted, "not now, Big Sister. Elise, can you speak? Do you need me to get my staff?"

Elise managed to gasp out a response. "S-Sakura...your stammer...it's gone...how..."

Sakura hadn't stopped to realize her improved dialect. "Huh. I guess it is. That's...strange. How did that happen?" The young princess glanced around her surroundings. "Wait, why are we in the medical tent?"

Azura put a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Do you not remember a thing that happened to you?"

Sakura stopped to think for a moment. "No, not immediately. Why?" She glanced down at herself. She was dressed in the typical poncho-esque uniform patients were required to wear. "Where's my dress?"

Elise had gained her composure considerably. "It's...currently in pieces. I think Hinoka is working on sewing it back together."

Sakura was taken aback. "It's in pieces?! What the heck happened? What are you not telling me?"

Azura exchanged glances with Elise before replying. "I seriously doubt you want to remember. Just trust us on this one."

Sakura kept pushing. "No, seriously, what hap—mmmpph!?" 

Elise had thrown her arms around Sakura, hugging her tightly, lips meeting those of her partner. Sakura, startled by Elise's actions, simply sat there, returning Elise's kiss. When they parted, Sakura could see tears forming in Elise's eyes. "I was so worried about you. I...I thought I would lose y-you."

Azura headed for the entrance. "I'll go tell Corrin and Ryoma. They'll want to see you up and active."

Sakura simply sat still, holding onto Elise as the Nohrian princess cried openly, still wondering what could possibly have happened to her to provoke this level of worry. "It's okay. Let it out. I'm here now." She ran a hand through her wife's hair. "I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm not dead!
> 
> Anyway. Here's this. Still not quite as far as I had hoped in this story, but progress is progress.
> 
> Remember, as always, constructive criticism is not only allowed, but heavily encouraged.

**Author's Note:**

> Keep in mind that, as with all of my works, I am completely tolerant of criticism, constructive or otherwise. So don't be afraid to leave feedback!


End file.
